Welcome to the encouragement lounge, a stop off point for hard-working students and others who want a moment of fun, inspiration, or calm. Posts will be brief and are intended for quick study breaks or a moment of re-energizing. I hope this blog gives you a little push forward. Take good care, Harriet

Monday, October 19, 2009

Confidence in the classroom

A reader wrote recently about wishing for more confidence to speak during class. I had this same issue when I began my PhD program so let me first tell you a little of my own experience with this, and then offer some additional suggestions. I don't often tell my own stories on here, but perhaps it will help to hear someone else's experience.

Shortly after I began my PhD program, I met with my advisor and one of the first things I discussed was my difficulty speaking up in class. One of my realities is that it usually takes me a little time to synthesize information before I am ready to comment and so sometimes by the time I was ready to comment, the class had moved on to a different topic. A second factor was that as I was sitting there in class, thinking I had something to contribute, I would often think "this is obvious, everyone must be thinking it" and so I wouldn't comment.

My advisor suggested that I try to stop worrying about it (because worrying about it was further getting in my way!!!) and trust that when I had something to say, I would say it. This helped me relax a little bit. That was the first step for me in terms of getting more comfortable and able to speak more in class. A few things I learned after that...

1. I'm not one of those people who will have something to say all the time. I am more quiet and reflective than that. I've accepted that about myself and that brings me to number two...

2. It's cool to be known as someone who doesn't say a lot, but when she says something, it's thoughtful.

3. In those moments when I think of something to say and the class has already moved on, I assess where we are and then sometimes suggest "I would like to go back to (insert previous topic)... I was just thinking...(and then you share your thoughts on the earlier topic)." Unless the class is really involved in an intense discussion, it's ok to redirect and ask folks to go with you back to an earlier topic.

4. Prepare a few questions before class. I used to think that all those talkative students were just quick on their feet... some of them come with a list of questions that they developed while doing the readings.

5. When you catch yourself thinking "this is obvious, everyone must be thinking it" -- challenge that assumption... most often, your thoughts and perspective are more original than you think!

Readers.... other ideas on how to feel more confident in the classroom???

1 comment:

Well, I am one of those people who is always speaking up and thinking what I have to say is important. LOL. For me, on one hand, after a few classroom comments, I start to realize that I'm talking too much, and then I'll become kind of embarrassed like "yikes, shut UP Jessi!" If I think about it too much I become convinced that everyone thinks that I think I know everything. On the other hand, I trust myself and believe I DO have something to contribute.

It's a balance of accepting myself as an extrovert, knowing I have something to share, while also realizing that it is my responsibility as someone who is comfortable having a strong presence, to create space for others who may need more processing time.

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About Me

I am an associate professor at Carlow University where I teach in the School of Education and the Department of Psychology. In 2009, I earned my PhD in Leadership and Change from Antioch University where I completed a grounded theory study exploring relational practice between master's students and professors. I love thinking about how we can work more effectively -- from both my faculty and student vantage points. I continue to develop my own strategies for dealing with a variety of related areas including: focus, energy, concentration, discipline, stress management, time management, and confidence. I also love helping my students and my doctoral colleagues as they encounter these issues. For more information and more of my work, visit www.harrietschwartz.com

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Working adult students, on my mind...

I hope this blog will be helpful to friends and others involved in a variety of endeavors. However, I created the blog with students in mind and continue to develop it with that specific group as my focus.

I believe that with the increase in evening, weekend, and low-residency programs, students are working more and more in isolation. If we were all full-time students on campus, we would have the informal support that comes with being able to go down the hall and talk with a colleague, etc. But instead, we are working late nights and weekends at home in front of the laptop.

With that in mind, I hope the encouragement lounge provides brief moments of respite and energizing connection. This does not at all replace valuable face-to-face contact. Many aspects of the academic journey can only be addressed via in-depth conversations with colleagues and teachers. And I would always rather sit down and talk with someone than to communicate online. Nonetheless, my aim is to give you one more channel for quick hits of support.